Joali Being

Every so often in life you experience a holiday that can only be described as perfection and from start to finish the JOALI BEING was one such time. You know before you even arrive that it will be a very special trip from the level of personalised service offered by the reservations team. Arriving at ‘ The Gate of Zero’ is no less impressive, where we were met by our Jadugar who was our point of contact for our entire stay (more on that later ) Our Jadugar gave my husband and I a tour of the most meticulously crafted and pristine natural island we have ever seen, from the architecture to the gardens, decor and soft ambient lighting. The resort has a real sense of place, it seamlessly blends into the natural fabric of the island. To our dear Jadugar Mode, you my friend are simply outstanding. You told us flat out on our arrival that you are here to create a personalised experience for us and you proved this time and time again over the course of our stay. Every single detail was taken care of without even having to ask, you struck the perfect balance of making us feel spoilt and pampered without ever being intrusive. We shared something with you about a recent tragic event in our lives and what you done for us thereafter was possibly the most kind, warm and generous gift we have ever received, we will cherish your amazingly thoughtful and incredible artwork forever! To do this in your own time makes it all the more special. The intricate sand art drawings each night outside our villa will forever stay in our memory. When the world feels like it’s going backwards people like you are a shining light and a beacon of kindness. We genuinely can’t remember a time in our lives that we were so blown away with the hospitality you showed us, the small details, personal gifts and making my ‘big’ birthday so special meant the absolute world to us and the joy you created was nothing short of magic. We really don’t know how you think up such thoughtful ideas, you really do have such a creative soul. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts - you should be so very proud of your achievements. The culinary offerings from head chef Taylor and her entire team was pure brilliance. From the quality, choice and balance of flavours at breakfast to curating personalised meals based on our individual tastes, every single meal could grace the tables of any Michelin star restaurant in London and beyond. It goes without saying that the service in all outlets was exemplary but Flow restaurant went above and beyond. A very special shout out to Madam Devi, your big smile, fun spirit and professionalism created such a relaxed environment at each and every meal. Our days were filled with activities from private Muay Thai classes and circuit training to deep relaxation meditation and yoga classes. The entire team at Core (Ismael, Gul, Brenda, Yehia and Veronica) you all have an energy and warmth that is infectious. You motivated us to do better and your encouraging words made each workout a real joy ( and that is from someone who will do anything to avoid exercise :) ) The afternoons would be spent relaxing at the incredible spa, where we would be greeted with a big smile from our lovely Ukrainian friend Carina, followed by a herbal tea in the ridiculously beautiful tea house, how can we ever go back to normal life ! Our spacious and beautifully decorated villa was cleaned twice a day by the wonderful Annof, each morning and evening after breakfast and dinner we would come back to find the villa spotless Annof even laid our snorkelling equipment out perfectly ready for the next day, Each and every detail was so well thought through to promote deep relaxation throughout our entire stay. Of course no mention of a trip to the Maldives would be complete without talking about the marine life and here too Bodufushi island did not disappoint. Just steps from our ocean villa we could see vast shoals of colourful fish, not forgetting the resident turtles and eagle rays, it was literally like watching a National Geographic documentary. I encourage anyone looking for a once in a lifetime experience to strongly consider the JOALI BEING, it is a truly unique concept set amongst one of the worlds most magical backdrops. Thank you to everyone from Jazlaan who runs a tight but very happy and content ship in the absence of the GM and the entire JB team - hopefully one day we can visit again ❤️